British FG trailer.... Loooovely!

[Glenn Baglo]

I'd like to see an interior shot with the cupboard doors open. I suspect they are full of wheel wells.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I'd like to see an interior shot with the cupboard doors open.

I just want to know where I can have cupboard doors like that made locally that will not cost me an arm and leg - have an overhead bin that could use them!

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by franck2cv

It has been designed like a cross between a cargo trailer and a camper.
The double axle allows more weight...

No kidding- according to their webpage, even the smallest unit is able to carry almost 2,000 pounds of payload! What I can't figure out is where one would stow enough stuff to get close to that weight.

But given the price, maybe it's aimed at folks used to hauling gold bricks around...

Francesca

[Carol H]

You could put a motorcycle in it which would eat up some of the payload pretty fast.

[franck2cv]

Originally Posted by Carol H

We are spoiled in NA regarding the cost of most things. Those in the UK historically pay 30/50% more for much of their hard goods. For example a IPad Min is about $100 more to buy in the UK direct from Apple vs buying direct from Apple Canada. Things have actually improved over there in that regard - 10 years ago it was common for items to have the same sticker price in British Pounds as it had in North America but with Canadian or US dollars sticker price. A CD for example would be $10 British Pounds vs the same CD selling for US$10. Same with computer equipment etc.

Indeed! One of the many reasons we moved to Canada ! We lived in the UK from 1997 to 2004 ..... Our British friends call their own land 'rip off country'.

[Lynn Musgrave]

Ok it is" kind of ugly" ....but I kind of like it! At least the concept of it.....I like the back that opens and the tent set up that goes with it. Sure would like to see one in person.Things just look different in person.

[mcbrew]

I wish we had these trailers here. The problem here in the US is that when someone sees a trailer like this for $30k, and a 30 foot el-cheapo sticky for the same price, they woo go for the bigger (crappier) trailer 9 times out of 10. Plus, Americans tend to tow with full size pickups, so weight and towability are not as much of a concern. I just bought a 5x8 enclosed cargo trailer, and when looking at different ones on the lot, the answer to most of my questions was, "they're pretty much all the same." True... And boy, do I wish there were more alternatives -- especially for those of us towing with cars or small SUVs. Over in Europe, I have seen VW Golfs towing 2 foot campers. They are well balanced, with only about 4-5% tongue weight. They ALL have cable or rod actuated brakes and parking brakes. Their couplers are so secure that safety chains are not required in many countries. Even their tongue jacks are better than the ones we use.

[GPJ]

Originally Posted by mcbrew

I wish we had these trailers here. The problem here in the US is that when someone sees a trailer like this for $30k, and a 30 foot el-cheapo sticky for the same price, they woo go for the bigger (crappier) trailer 9 times out of 10. Plus, Americans tend to tow with full size pickups, so weight and towability are not as much of a concern. I just bought a 5x8 enclosed cargo trailer, and when looking at different ones on the lot, the answer to most of my questions was, "they're pretty much all the same." True... And boy, do I wish there were more alternatives -- especially for those of us towing with cars or small SUVs. Over in Europe, I have seen VW Golfs towing 2 foot campers. They are well balanced, with only about 4-5% tongue weight. They ALL have cable or rod actuated brakes and parking brakes. Their couplers are so secure that safety chains are not required in many countries. Even their tongue jacks are better than the ones we use.

Yep -that is a standard problem.

Many years (30+) ago I remember looking at the European trailers (I remember Sprite in particular) and they were so plain, ugly and expensive compared to our NA brands. Now the Europeans (really.. check out their forums) refer to Airstreams as nice except for the poor North American quality of finish. How things have changed.

I'm not a fan of the Trip Buddy - all show and little go in my humble opinion - but I do like the European trailers on balance - very nice fit and finish. Europeans do some different things in regards layout. Europeans tend to time more outdoors, so things like tent rooms are a really big deal over there. Its interesting to compare approaches.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by GPJ

Have you seen the price? I'm told that it is over $30k (UK pounds converted to US$)!

What you have to keep in mind is that to the British it cost $19000 simple as that about the same to them as it is for you paying the same for a new Casita in US dollars.

The fact the US dollar is weak against the British Pound doesnt enter the mind of the party buy on the other side of the big pond.

[deryk]

Ive looked at many British caravans and most of them I wish I could own...generally really well done interiors... this one... if it was given to me I would sell it to but something nicer looking.

[GPJ]

Originally Posted by Carol H

What you have to keep in mind is that to the British it cost $19000 simple as that about the same to them as it is for you paying the same for a new Casita in US dollars.

The fact the US dollar is weak against the British Pound doesn't enter the mind of the party buy on the other side of the big pond.

Well..maybe...but then again for purposes of comparison, the following all fiberglass unit costs them just £6995. Which would you choose?

FREEDOM MICROLITE BIJOUX 2013

http://www.freedomcaravans.com/image...108_113827.jpg

Price: £6,995.00

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Carol H

What you have to keep in mind is that to the British it cost $19000 simple as that about the same to them as it is for you paying the same for a new Casita in US dollars.

I don't get the math- how does an amount of British pounds expressed as $30,000.00 U.S. become "the same thing as $18,000.00"?

Francesca

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

I don't get the math- how does an amount of British pounds expressed as $30,000.00 U.S. become "the same thing as $18,000.00"?

Francesca

You seemed to have missed the point Francesca.

On the international exchange board the British Pound Sterling is measured against the US currency equivalent - the dollar. Currently 1 British Pound has a value of 1.56 US Dollars. So a trailer selling for 18,000 British Pounds (the British equivalent of your dollar) is worth USD$28,009.80.

I am not going to the debate as to whether or not the trailer in question is worth that or not but keep in mind there are a couple of other popular brands of Fiberglass trailers selling in NA that are selling for that amount and more.

Perhaps using two counties that both call a dollar a dollar might be easier to understand what I was attempting to say in the post you are questioning.

I go to store in Canada and buy a chocolate bar for 1 Canadian dollar, you go to the store and buy the same chocolate bar for 1 US dollar. I walk away from the store feeling as though I only spent 1 dollar, the fact that I actually paid $1.01 based on the US equivalent dollar on the international market doesn't change the fact I did only pay one dollar in my country's dollar equivalent to the US dollar. In the case of the trailer a Brit would look at it as having paid 18,000 pounds (their dollar equivalent) not as 30,000 dollars as you do.

Pretty sure most Brits deal with it the same way - what a pound is worth on any given day against the US dollar unless one is traveling into the US doesn't change much in their decision making process when buying cars, trailers or homes or most other day to day items for that matter. But the simple truth is that due to the lower value of many US built items (due to lower overhead) I am pretty sure they do go online and cry (just as we in Canada often do) at how little American's pay for most things and wish like heck it was much easier to have some of those big ticket items shipped to us. In fact I found myself stuck for several hours at a car dealership south of the border last week and it really hit home hard as to how much cheaper cars are in the US vs the rest of the world, although just filling my car up with gas prior had pretty well reminded me of that

[Steve Hammel]

I love the look, what's not to like?

[GPJ]

Originally Posted by Carol H

You seemed to have missed the point Francesca.

On the international exchange board the British Pound Sterling is measured against the US currency equivalent - the dollar. Currently 1 British Pound has a value of 1.56 US Dollars. So a trailer selling for 18,000 British Pounds (the British equivalent of your dollar) is worth USD$28,009.80.

I am not going to the debate as to whether or not the trailer in question is worth that or not but keep in mind there are a couple of other popular brands of Fiberglass trailers selling in NA that are selling for that amount and more.

Perhaps using two counties that both call a dollar a dollar might be easier to understand what I was attempting to say in the post you are questioning.

I go to store in Canada and buy a chocolate bar for 1 Canadian dollar, you go to the store and buy the same chocolate bar for 1 US dollar. I walk away from the store feeling as though I only spent 1 dollar, the fact that I actually paid $1.01 based on the US equivalent dollar on the international market doesn't change the fact I did only pay one dollar in my country's dollar equivalent to the US dollar. In the case of the trailer a Brit would look at it as having paid 18,000 pounds (their dollar equivalent) not as 30,000 dollars as you do.

Pretty sure most Brits deal with it the same way - what a pound is worth on any given day against the US dollar unless one is traveling into the US doesn't change much in their decision making process when buying cars, trailers or homes or most other day to day items for that matter. But the simple truth is that due to the lower value of many US built items (due to lower overhead) I am pretty sure they do go online and cry (just as we in Canada often do) at how little American's pay for most things and wish like heck it was much easier to have some of those big ticket items shipped to us. In fact I found myself stuck for several hours at a car dealership south of the border last week and it really hit home hard as to how much cheaper cars are in the US vs the rest of the world are, although just filling my car up with gas prior had pretty well reminded me of that

So..effectively you are saying that irrespective of exchange rates, one UK pound in the UK has the buying power for consumer goods of one US dollar in the US. A one dollar item in the US would sell for one pound in the UK. They spend a pound the way that we spend a dollar.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Carol H

You seemed to have missed the point Francesca.

On the international exchange board the British Pound Sterling is measured against the US currency equivalent - the dollar. Currently 1 British Pound has a value of 1.56 US Dollars. So a trailer selling for 18,000 British Pounds (the British equivalent of your dollar) is worth USD$28,009.80.

I'm not a (complete) idiot- I do understand conversion rates. What I don't understand is the math involved wherein you determine that amount to "simply" be $19,000.00- the cost in U.S. dollars of a Casita.

Or isn't that what the following means?

Originally Posted by Carol H

What you have to keep in mind is that to the British it cost $19000 simple as that about the same to them as it is for you paying the same for a new Casita in US dollars.

Francesca

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by GPJ

So..effectively you are saying that irrespective of exchange rates, one UK pound in the UK has the buying power for consumer goods of one US dollar in the US. A one dollar item in the US would sell for one pound in the UK. They spend a pound the way that we spend a dollar.

Yup!

As stated in an early post it is very common in the UK for items to have a sticker price in Pounds that is the same as the sticker price in the US$. CD in London might have a sticker price of 10 pounds but in the US the same CD is priced at 10 US dollars. Very common to see on electronics as well, although things have gotten a bit better of late.

The only real advantage regarding the exchange rate those in the UK have is when they travel to USA and are actually able to use their favorable exchange rate to their advantage.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

I'm not a (complete) idiot- I do understand conversion rates. What I don't understand is the math involved wherein you determine that amount to "simply" be $19,000.00- the cost in U.S. dollars of a Casita.

Or isn't that what the following means?

Francesca

Sorry Francesca I am out of ideas as to how I could confuse you further.

[Donna D.]

Oh phoo.. when I can't figure out pounds, etc. to US dollars I use: XE Currency Converter - Live Rates

I check it frequently to see what an new Escape 5.0 is REALLY going to cost me

[carlkeigley]

I just check to see what's in my pockets.